Dunkin’ to roll out doughnut sandwich nationwide

Dunkin’ Donuts will roll out its Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich nationwide in time for National Donut Day on Friday, June 7, the company said Monday.

The sweet and savory menu item features a fried egg and cherrywood-smoked bacon served inside a split yeast ring Glazed Donut.

The item, which has been in test since April in Eastern Massachusetts, has 360 calories. By comparison, Dunkin’ Donuts’ Turkey Sausage Breakfast Sandwich contains 390 calories.

Dunkin’ Donuts’ executive chef and vice president of global product innovation Stan Frankenthaler said on the company’s website that the chain was able to introduce the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich rapidly “because we are using ingredients that are currently on our menu. We had to train our crew members on constructing the sandwich — slicing the donut, adding the fried egg and bacon.”

The introduction of the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich marks the latest in a lengthening line of bacon-centric items being rolled out by chains across the country. Wendy’s generated buzz among financial analysts last when when it said it was likely going to introduce a Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger nationally in 2013.

California Pizza Kitchen said in March that it was launching a pizza topped with bacon, Brussels sprout leaves, caramelized onions and Romano cheese.

In addition, Denny’s reprised its popular Baconalia menu in March, with new dishes featuring bacon. Among the new items were two desserts — a Maple Bacon Milk Shake and Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae with Bacon. New main dishes included BBQ Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese Bites, Caramel Bacon Stuffed French Toast and the Ultimate BLT.

Dunkin’ Donuts’ Frankenthaler told the Associated Press that the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich can be customized in multiple ways, including being served on a bagel. He also said his team “tried the sandwich with all of our meats, including bacon, ham and turkey, and besides bacon I think the next best meat to use in the sandwich is ham. It’s a little more filling, but the saltiness of the ham pairs really well with the sweetness of the glazed donut.”

Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands Inc., which also owns Baskin-Robbins. Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 10,500 locations in 31 countries.

Contact Paul Frumkin at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @NRNPaul